Fred3

Found it! Just as you described. Thanks.

84 Dolphin. 22R & 4 speed stick. No generator. As simple as these motorhomes get. 69k miles. Both the truck battery (passenger side of vehicle) and house battery (drivers side) are under the hood. I have it plugged in to shore power in my back yard while we're preparing for a weekend at a campground with friends. I noticed today a stain below the engine compartment on the concrete pad. It just appeared today. Opened the hood and the top of the house battery is wet, the result of boiling. No boiling noise or swelling, just moisture at the fill caps. This battery is only charged by the system associated with shore power that converts ac to dc. (what's it called "inverter" "converter" "whatever") I know what it does, I just don't know it's name. The battery is not charged by the alternator, because that part of the system isn't doing it's job. The house battery just doesn't get charged. Truck battery does just fine. Alternator works great. When traveling, we use the house battery for lights and they eventually get dim in a day or two until we plug in and the battery gets charged. Here's one question,,, Why is the battery boiling now when it did not before? The other question,,, Why does my house battery not charge via the alternator - it should, and the system is all original without modifications. Any thoughts? How would I go about trouble shooting this? Fred While we're at it - any idea where the fuel filter is? Carb system, not EFI.

84 Dolphin. 22R & 4 speed stick. No generator. As simple as these motorhomes get. 69k miles. Both the truck battery (passenger side of vehicle) and house battery (drivers side) are under the hood. I have it plugged in to shore power in my back yard while we're preparing for a weekend at a campground with friends. I noticed today a stain below the engine compartment on the concrete pad. It just appeared today. Opened the hood and the top of the house battery is wet, the result of boiling. No boiling noise or swelling, just moisture at the fill caps. This battery is only charged by the system associated with shore power that converts ac to dc. (what's it called "inverter" "converter" "whatever") I know what it does, I just don't know it's name. The battery is not charged by the alternator, because that part of the system isn't doing it's job. The house battery just doesn't get charged. Truck battery does just fine. Alternator works great. When traveling, we use the house battery for lights and they eventually get dim in a day or two until we plug in and the battery gets charged. Here's one question,,, Why is the battery boiling now when it did not before? The other question,,, Why does my house battery not charge via the alternator - it should, and the system is all original without modifications. Any thoughts? How would I go about trouble shooting this? Fred While we're at it - any idea where the fuel filter is? Carb system, not EFI.

Last October I shopped around but couldn't seem to find anywhere that sold a set of 7. I tried Les Schwaub and Discount and other online dealers. I ended up ordering online from Sears. They delivered to my town and installed. Their prices can vary. I got the Hankooks. Price out the door was something very close to $100 per. They ordered them and when installed I checked the manufacture date. It was in September 2010. The impression I got at the time was that there weren't many anywhere, until Hankook made a production run. You should be able to beat a Sears price, but they are everywhere. My local Goodyear tire dealer does installs for online deliveries. They charge $20 per tire plus valve stems. Plus tax. It would have been like $160 out the door just for installation. HOWEVER - When we drove from CA to Nashville and back in November, I really appreciated the confidence that comes with new tires. I probably wasted $100 in gas by driving 65-70 on some of the longer days. So in the long run it ain't a big deal. Get new tires if yours are old - my opinion. Fred

Well, I think I'm going to have to do the removal and re-seal as appropriate. I'll update with what I find. Tonight after work... Fred UPDATE: Well, that was not that difficult. I pulled the vinyl insert. Then drove the hex-head screws out. Then gently pried the moulding loose. The construction I found is exactly as described by John (Dolphinite) in the post above. This is good, as the design though cheap to build seems adequate - provided the guy with the staple gun did his job correctly. I was worried that I might be opening the proverbial can of worms - but not so. The flat room aluminum bends downward 90 degrees - not so that it would be expected to crack - and overlaps the verticle by 1/2 inch. There are narrow staples from the factory that hold it down. When fully assembled, the trim piece is gobbed up with putty, and it is all held down with the hex-head 1" screws. The potential for a leak would be around the screws. Then there in the vinyl insert, which is just cosmetic. It seems that an annual roof maintenance could include application of a sealant (bead) at the place where the trim meets the aluminum - right at the 90 degree bend. Or scrape out the old bead and replace it each year. With the proper setup, removal and replacement of the screws, trim, butyl tape should take maybe 1 hour per side. Half a day if you're slow like me and are constantly in the state of discovery. Fred I'm glad I tore into it.

Thank you for your input. This is a truly great Discussion Board, and has been very helpful. I'll attempt a "non destructive" visual inspection inch-by-inch at the bend without removing the moulding. Fred

Mine is an '84 Dolphin, which is aluminum over wood construction. My current project is to replace all of the roof vents and hatches. I'm removing all of the old, and replacing with new. So far so good. Now I'm looking at the seams where the horizontal aluminum roof sheet attaches to the vertical sides. There is one of those hardware pieces that has the rubber/plastic inserted molding strip that probably covers hex-head screws. I'mwondering how (before I start any disassembly) the roof is attached at theedge. Is the sheet aluminum "bent" overto the siding to make a more water resistant seam? Has anyone on the board seen one of these taken apart? Can you explain how the aluminum roof joins to the side? I'm thinking if it is a design that would be considered unlikely to leak, then maybe I should leave it alone. Any insight??? Thanks, Fred

Hi folks, Winter has broken into spring. The sun is shining. There is a major mudslide that has closed US 101 between Garberville and Phillipsville (look at a map). This would afford an opportunity to take a very beautiful detour. There is a series of county roads (paved and have lots of curves - ok for a toyhome) that pass throught the Humboldt Redwoods State Park, to Honeydew, Ettersburn, Briceland, Redway and Garberville. Just south of Garberville is a 10 rated RV park at Benbow. Benbow has a golf course, and an Inn that has Jazz on the patio on Friday and Saturday eves. This takes a couple of hours at 25-30 mph. Buy gas before you get there. Or... if you are in Honeydew, go for Petrolia and on to Ferndale for some AMAZING scenery and coastal views. Near Ferndale (Victorian town) (good pizza place) is Fortuna (ho-hum) which also has a fine RV park, fuel, RV supplies, grocery stores and not much else. It's a beautiful drive if you're in the area, between April 1st and Dec 1st when there is little or no rain. Enjoy!

Mine is an '84 Dolphin 4 cyl 4 speed stick. New tires properly inflated, level ground at 5000' elevation commuting back and forth on wet and light snow and not much wind... drove 45 max just to see what I could get. I got 20 mpg over 200 miles. Here's the catch... my tires are not the ones the speedo is calibrated to. Therfore there is a 4% error as measured from real-time data. I actually got 19.2 for that tank. I don't think it is possible (for me and my vehicle) to get much better. The point I made to myself is that if I drive with a very light touch, I'll get there... stop trying to make good time... don't be in a rush... and I'll save gas. If I'm in a rush, I can always drive harder... and sometimes I think it is worth it. By the way, Craig's list Humboldt CA has been advertising an 80 Dolphin that gets 20+ mpg. I dunno. Worst mpg 11 into strong winds uphill and full throttle. Typical is 16.5, but multiply by 96% to get the real mpg. I have not tried any non-stock setups such as air filters or whatever. I've thought a Webber carb would be an interesting change based on what others have said. I have removed the roof air. I travel with about 15 gallons of water in the tanks. I minimize the weight we pack, but we do pack for 30 days for out trips, so the cupboards are pretty full of gorceries.

Something like this could be done with a hollow-core door. A bunk bed safety rail could go under the mattress.

Here's my 2 cents... We took the 30 day trip last November, each night either in an RV park (KOA or similar). Bought the unit 6 weeks or so before the trip. Never got the propane appliances sorted out so we (in effect) took the whole trip without propane. Our "style" is to take hot showers each day which is what makes a KOA desirable. Never cracked the propane tank valve open one time. For me, the motorhome while traveling is not to save money. It is for convenience, cleanliness, and a slower pace. I've found I that if it is a long trip, driving a car at 75 mpg and 30mpg, and a nice hotel each night are close to the same price as our RV style. We used a single burner hotplate and a microwave. We cook hot cereal each morning for breakfast, use an electric citrus juicer for orange/grapefruit juice. We use the Garmin to locate a suitable restaurant for lunch or else have sandwiches. Dinner includes nachos heated in the microwave or something in a skillet on the hot plate. Hot water is electric for doing dishes and we use the camp showers. Used a small electric space heater, which worked fine even down to temps into the low 20's at night. Granted this was fall season, and cooler, so the fridge remained cold while unplugged from shore power. I'm not going to have a flame burning (pilot) at a gas stop, which is every 200 miles, so the propane while driving is shut off anyway. Also, I don't travel away from the Pacific coastal areas (cool marine weather) during summer months. I don't have an electric element in the hot water heater, but did for a different RV. Worked great! In the future I plan to camp in local areas without electric, and the propane will be used. Fred3

One more thing... ANY silicone based product used on the roof must be ENTIRELY removed before applying Liquid Roof. Today I emailed and got an answer to this effect from their website. So... it any roof maintenance was done with RTV or other silicone goop, then use the above precaution. Fred3

As a followup, checking with the guy I sold the Automate to, the roof still is good. 'Been 8 years since application, and stored outside in either Sacramento area (hot summer) or California coast (lotta rain). Also, I reviewed the instructional video (this morning) on the link provided at the top of this thread. It shows EXACTLY what to do. Watch it all and you'll see prep and application technique. Fred3

By the way... it was white and pretty when dry. Fred3

Back in 2003 I applied Liquid Roof to a fifth wheel with 2 sliders. It was a 1996 AUTOMATE 32'. It took 4 hours to apply, after an hour of prep (scrubbing) on the previous day. I purchased the Liquid Roof product from an online RV Parts dealer in Oregon. Came in gallon cans. Add a catalyst and stir (stirrer on an electric drill), then apply as directed. Goes on like thick paint. Seems like you have about 1 or 2 hours to get it on before it sets. If you refrigerate it, the curing stops, therefore you can do some today and some tomorrow. I believe there was an online video at the time that showed how it works. You might look on YouTube. Seemed to work fine. I applied it over a leaking EDPM rubber roof. I wouldn't have thought of applying it over an aluminum roof, but It would do the job, in my opinion. If I recall, you don't even have to remove the old goop over the screws on the roof penetrations... just paint over them. Fred3

I made a cover out of a piece of an opaque plastic food storage container - the ones you buy in a grocery store... the ones with the blue snap on lid. Works great. Fred

Raymond, I see you have a Dolphin, as do I. We removed the roof air. See the "Minor Roof Repair" thread. I've wondered what would be the best way to expose the roof structural members. What are the pros & cons of going through the ceiling and not the roof top? Fred3

For what it's worth, i've had three "cabover" type motorhomes now, including the Dolphin '84 we now own. I had a bunk window replaced same for same once - it had been shot out with a pellet gun - with auto safety glass. It had to be fabricated by a glass shop. I brought in the frame and they did the rest. As an afterthought I wish I had made a "false window" like your option #3, only with the inside being insulated and finished or paneled. Never had much use for the "cold" window in the sleeping area. Also, I like it dark at night for sleeping. I guess the safety glass component could have been any suitable material, or even glass spray painted black on the inside, then insulated? I'm considering having all my cabin windows darkened (thinking Lazydaze style) and replacing one of my 4 roof vents - the one where the roof a/c was - with a skylight in the 14" x 14" hole. Fred3

Just did the download. Very good resource.

I loaned my chevy caprice wagon (125k mile at the time) to a friend for a 500 mile round trip. He called me at 7 that evening and was kind of shaken up... he had run over a piece of steel on the freeway which make a loud noise... he pulled into a Shell station... there was a hole punched into the gas tank. Lots of remorse. I went out into my shop and grabbed some JB weld, some screws and wood wedges (I was a Navy Machinist Mate back in the day) to stop the leak. Jumped into the guys honda civic and met him. We backed the station wagon onto a curb in a hotel parking lot to get access to the bottom of the tank. I used a screw and washer to cram a piece of cotton rag into the leak, then filled the tank... it did drip but was clear of the exhaust and any heat source. I drove home (about 1.5 hours) and put it up on a ramp... used JB weld to fix it. I used JB Weld and a piece of wire screen and a screw/washer. It held tight until I sold the car for a dollar to a guy in BAD need of a family car. It had 270k miles on it by then. Fred3

John- You've got me thinking. Sounds like Eternabond would work. I purchased a 4" wide and a 6" wide 25' roll at about the time I left for a month long trip. When I removed the A/C, I placed a piece of thin plywood over the square hole, and covered it with the Eternabond. Have you ever used the product before? It is fairly thick and heavy weight, which for the intended application of flat surfaces is probably a good thing, making it durable. This will be converted to a 14" roof vent. Yeah, I'll get to see how "removable" the sticky stuff is. Scraping? Acetone? At the roof edge I'm thinking it might be nice to try a thinner product that works the same way. So happens that my roof escape hatch blew off during a storm while parked in an RV park in Smyrna TN. Snapped right off while it was in the tight-closed position... Anyway, we found it 100 yards away at another RV site and brought it home. I used a thinner and much less costly tape to make the emergency repair (never put it on a non-dry surface... won't adhere) that I got at Home Depot in the roof repair dept. It is 4" or 6" wide, shiny like metallic, and has the same sticky compound. Works the same but is thinner and "bends into corners" sort of like aluminum foil. When I do my roof job, i think I'll try out the tape idea and see if it will fit under the trim, and look good as well as make a good watertight bond. I'm on the Northern CA coast near Fortuna CA. I have a tarp on the roof until maybe April of May if it ever stops raining for a few days. I expect to do the roof then. I'll post whatever I do. BTW... born in Superior Montana at the Mineral County Hospital, as a kid I lived in Columbia Falls. Long time ago... My dad was a sprinkler fitter working in various sawmills. Got paid in silver dollars. Those were the days. My dad pulled a family sized mobile home with a 1952 Ford wagon. 2-speed automatic and a V8. The fitters would work with a land owner, dig a pit and bury a steel drum that was perforated, and use it as a sewer/septic connection. He says they paid 8 dollars per week to park the trailer. Something like that. I have fond Montana memories of watching the Dads put firecrackers in beer cans and blowing them up on July 4th. They would let us kids catch grasshoppers for fish bait... I think the fish they caught were 2 or 3 feet long... but then these are a little kids impressions from a long time ago. The trailer was a "Superior" or something like that. The door had a round window and the living room had mahogany paneling, and square tile on the floor. Our family ended up buying a 3BR house new with a full basement in Spokane for under $8 grand. Did kindergarden there. Fred3

I'm going to refurbish or replace all of my roof vents pretty soon. Done that before, so it should be no problem. Upon completion, I intend to "paint" the roof with "Grizzly Grip" (brand name) in white. This is a bed liner diy product that I've used before. The roof a/c will not be re-installed. Don't use it so I don't want the extra weight. The area of the roof that I am unfamiliar with is the edges where it goes from horizontal sheet aluminum, to the vertical exterior wall. This is an aluminum skin camper, not fiberglass. What is the best way to ensure that this joint is water-tight? Anyone know how this would be constructed? It seems (no pun intended) like I should be able to disassemble and clean and then re-seal, without making a bigger problem... rather than applying goop "over" the seam. Fred3

[i appreciate your posts. I get to troubleshoot my own furnace this spring.

For what it's worth, I assumed my 84 Dolphin tank was 17.2 gallons. Ran it dry on the cross country trip. Used my spare gallon and filled 7 miles later with 15.0 gallons. Therefore I now think it is 15.5 gallons. We (wife and I) think of trips in term of "one tank day" "two tank day" or "three tank day" with 220 miles per tank. Fred

Finished the 30 day & 6000 mile trip on the new tires. The tires were great. Very glad I replaced them. There is an error in odometer reading now due to the smaller size (185'S that replaced the 195's) of 5%. Not that it matters, but I logged and measured gas mileage. One tank was 20 mpg steady 40-50 mph flat no wind light rain back and forth on jacks Valley Rd. from Genoa NV to Carson City - one trip per day for 7 days. Worst tank was 11.9 mpg foot to the floor uphill from 1200' elev to 5000' and into strong head and crosswinds, making maybe 55 mph tops but often only 45 mph in 3rd gear. Average was 16.5 from Fortuna CA, to Lake Tahoe, to Carson City, to Las Vegas, to Nashville (I-40), then back to Osage Mo, then Barstow (I-40), over to I-5 near Wasco, then up to Hwy-20 and over to 101 and home (Fortuna CA). From Holbrook AZ we made real good time at 70 mpg to home at 15.5 to 16 mpg. No wind issues. TIRES were great.